Who Needs an Army
by White Belt Writer
Summary: Angie's day takes a surprising turn when a bunch of loud men take a seat in one of her booths.


Ever have one of those days that just kept surprising you?

Like you think you've got everything figured out and then find out fate's thrown in another plot twist?

Angie had one of those and it all started when some fellas waltzed into the automat.

There were three of them; one black and two whites, and-with the way they had strutted into the place-believed they were larger than life. The whole time they were making their way to a booth furthest from the door they were talking and laughing and just seemed to be having a gay old time.

Going off that alone, they struck Angie as the "loud-but-even-louder-when-we're-drunk" type, which with her luck was usually combined with the "you're serving-me-which-means-I-can-touch-you" type. _'Joy,'_ she thought.

But then she did a double take. Something was different about these boys: something almost familiar.

The black one and the shorter of the two whites were seated on one side of the booth facing the front door, while the third wearing a derby faces the back. That in itself was normal enough, but the way they were sitting was odd.

Sure they were talking all casual like, but their eyes kept moving from time to time; seeming to take notice of every door and person in the place. Angie got the feeling that either these boys were either used to getting into trouble, starting trouble, or both.

And they had decided to seat themselves smack dab in her section.

' _Swell,'_ Angie thought.

Putting on her best smile (she had to get some sort of acting practice from this gig) Angie walked on over to the booth the group decided to plop down in and ask what they'd like to order; full on expecting them to say something loud, rude, and/or lewd.

Instead what she got was all three of them instantly halting their conversation and the one with the derby (that he had placed next to his elbow on the table as soon as he sat down) politely asking for "Three cups of coffee, please," with a calm in-door voice and everything.

Guy barely dropped his eyes to read her nametag, let alone gander at anything else and his companions were the same, all looking Angie dead in the eye with gentle smiles.

' _Huh. How 'bout that? Guess they're not lewd after all.'_

' _Yet, at least.'_

Angie grabbed their coffee and headed back for the table. This time she was sure that they were gonna say something to test her patience-but no! They were still acting nice and polite.

In fact they were real swell guys! They politely asked how long she worked there, if she'd been the city long, how she liked the city: just polite questions, nothing too deep or inappropriate. Nice change from the usual "Whatcha doing after work toots?" that usually came her way.

It seemed like they were just tourists: just stopping by and wanted a local's opinion on things.

All in all they were really great guys. The four of them even managed to toss a few jokes back and forth between the waitress getting them refills and checking on her other tables.

They sat for a good 45 minutes before finally ordering dinner: said they were waiting for a fourth that should show up soon from work.

 _That's_ when the trouble started.

For starters the fellas apparently had hollow legs or something because each one of them order enough food for two. Which of course lead to Angie having to carry not one but two platters just layered with food to their booth.

Which was fine, really. It wouldn't have been the first time she'd had to do a balancing act at work and she didn't want to keep the nice boys waiting too long for their meal; she could practically see them drooling from the kitchen, reminding her a bit of her brothers and male cousins.

No. The problem was that while walking back to them, another chap, one of those businessy, holier-than-thou types, just ups and stands straight up just as she's walking right behind him. His shoulder jars the platter off balance in her hand and when Angie tries to save it she wound up dropping both platters with a resounding crash.

' _That's coming out of my pay, no doubt,'_ she thought sulkily.

It's a _mess_. The food's splattered all over the place, including Mr. Business's black suit and those of his two friends. Doesn't help that the fellas had all ordered a bowl of chili.

Before Angie can even open her mouth to apologize, Mr. Black suit had turned on her with the reddest face.

"You clumsy bitch!" he yelled, "Look what you've done to my suit! Do you know what this cost me?! And I've got an interview in an hour too!"

"I am so sorry, sirs! It was an acci-"

"Don't you dare talk back to us, you little slut!" another man chimed in, this one in a blue suit, "Do you know who I am?! I could have you fired in an instant!"

The third suit, a green one, piped up, "Probably for the best too, if she can't even carry a damn tray the right way."

' _What did he say?!'_ Angie twitched. Letting her anger get the better of her she snapped, "Well it's your friend's damn fault for standing up so suddenly. Are you three so blind you couldn't see me walk all the way from the counter with two huge trays loaded with enough food to feed an army?!"

She regretted saying that when one of the Black Suit's eyes twitched as he sneered, "What did you say you little bitch?!" and pulled his hand back to slap her.

Angie flinched and closed her eyes, bracing against the blow (it's bad enough she talked back to a customer: she can't hit them too)-

-But the blow never comes.

Instead the waitress opens her eyes to a voice saying, "Fellas, I think it'd be best if you paid your bill and left. Now."

In the space of Angie closing her eyes, the man with a derby had stood up from his table and gotten close enough to wrap his hand around Black Suit's wrist, holding it in place with seemingly no effort.

"Get the fuck off of-" the man whipped around to yell at whoever held his arm, but his words died a little as he had to look up at his opposition.

"Mind your language. There is a lady present," the giant of a man said, still not letting the wrist go.

"Fuck off, the bitch deserves what's coming to her!" Green suit said as he and Blue suit stood up from their table.

The derby-man's eyes harden even further. "It's not Angie's fault that you're an oblivious fool who's too stupid to notice a nice girl is walking by him. Now, you three are going to apologize to her, pay your bill, and then you are either to walk out of here or fly out," a terrifying grin appeared on his face, "Personally I prefer the latter."

"You're gonna toss us out?"

"Yup."

"You and what army!" growled Blue suit.

The other two fellas appear over their friend's shoulder and quip-

"No army."

"Just the Howling Commandos."

You could hear a pin drop as Angie and the Suits looked at each of the men and realized that they were standing in the presence of the very same men who had served alongside Captain America himself. They looked different out of the military garb they were usually seen wearing in the newsreels, but it was them all the same.

All three of the Suits gulped loudly, apologized to Angie and left enough money on their table for quite a hefty tip before hightailing out of the automat liked their lives depended on it.

Angie stood with her jaw dropped for a few moments before turning back to her customer-turned-savior and said, "Thanks, you didn't have to do that."

Dugan grinned and said, "Not a problem! Any friend of Miss Union Jack is a friend of ours!"

"Miss Union who?" Angie asked, confused.

"I thought I told you never to call me that."

All four heads turned to see none other than Peggy Carter standing with her arms akimbo at the automat entrance.

"Would someone kindly explain to me why three gentlemen just dashed out of here like a bat out of hell?"

"PEGGY!" the boys yelled as they all rushed her for a massive group hug.

Amidst Peggy grousing about them "getting here early without her" and "causing yet another ruckus", Angie marched straight up to her and started tapping her foot with her arms crossed.

"You're friends _with the Howling Commandos_?!" she accused when she finally gained Peggy's attention.

"…Did I not mention that?"

" _ENGLISH!"_


End file.
